Test your home for Radon Gas

The Greenwich Health Department is once again offering RADON testing at a reduced rate. This discounted testing will be available from now until the end of March 2024. As the attached flier indicates, radon testing can be done by testing the air in your home or, if you have it, by testing your well water. The inserted flier shows the many insidious ways radon can seep into your home (or workplace). In the U. S., it is estimated that approximately 1 in 15 homes have high radon levels. It tends to be found in building areas that are closest to the ground. I was surprised when I took advantage of this testing last year to find that I had unhealthy levels of this radioactive gas in my own home and had to take measures to reduce it. Without testing, you will not detect radon gas. It is odorless, tasteless, and doesn't give you a feeling or sensation that it is around you (https://www.webmd.com/lung-can...) and (https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/featu...) (In Spanish: https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/nc...).

Radon comes from the decay of uranium. Uranium decays to form radium, which in turn decays to become radon gas. This gas seeps into home through the ground and through partially sealed opening in foundations, pipes and wiring. With prolonged exposure, as radon seeps into your lungs, it is known to cause lung cancer. You might be surprised to learn that radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. If you smoke and have radon exposure, that is a double whammy, and consider 2nd-hand smoke for the non-smokers among us. WebMD notes that about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. Unfortunately, the symptoms of radon-induced lung cancer emerge insidiously over many years of repeated/prolonged exposure. It affects people of all ages. Emerging symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, wheezing, and feeling short of breath. One may feel chest pain, or they might notice spitting up of blood. WebMD also tells us that there are no tests to show that you have inhaled excessive radon. Please take advantage of this low-cost, discounted testing to protect you and your families. Call 203-622-7843 or stop into the lab on the lower floor of Town Hall, Mary Racho, Lab Director